Trackman&#39;s car



Die 25, 1923. 11,47s,' 37

P. CLlFFORD TRACKMAN S CAR Filed Aug. 28. 1922 m Pa fr/c/r C/lfford Guam Patented Dec. 25, i923.

rarestseries.

PATRICK CLIFFORD, OF WALLULA, WASHINGTON;

TRACKMANS GAB.

Annlication filed August 28,1922. Serial No. 584,892.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, PATRICK CLIFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at l Vallula, in l/Valla /Valla County and State of ii ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trapkmens Cars, of which the. following is a specification. 7

The present invention relates toan improved traclrmans car for use on railroads, and is designed particularly for the purpose of facilitating the removal of such cars from the railway tracks. 'The modern trackmans car, of the hand car type, as now used on railroads, and particularly equipped with a gasoline motor for propulsion of the car, is of such weight that the labor of several men is required for bodily lifting and removing the car from the railroad tracks. When a suiiicient number of men are present the car may be lifted and removed bodily in order to avoid an approaching train, or to store the car for future use. WVhen however, as is often the case, only two men are present, it is almost impossible to remove one of these cars, because of the heavy weight or load. The primary object of the present invention is the provision of mechanical means as a part of the equipment of the car, whereby the'load or weight of the car may be handled and the car manipulated by a minimum number of men for removal of the car from the railroad tracks. With this object in view the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrange ments of parts whereby the car may by manual power be elevated from the tracks or rails and then turned at right angles to the railroad rails,andpushed over the outside rail with safety and facility.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a tracknians car, partly broken away, to illustrate the application thereto of the equipment of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the supporting drop-pedestal or post.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, detail plan view of the locking bolt arrangement.

in order that the invention and its util- Ill ity may readily be understood I have designated the cross ties 1 and rails 2 of the usual standard roadbed. The trackmans car is of the usual gas-propelled type with wheels 3 and longitudinal side bolsters or beams 4t forming part of the car frame, and these bolsters have extended ends 5 for use as handles.

The motor for propelling the car is indicated as a gas motor at 6, having suitable control devices 7, and brake control devices 8 for the wheels.

At the center of the car, or at its center of gravity, is located a vertical, center pedestal 9 in the form of a round rod or bar of metal, which is adapted to slide and be guided through the center bearing sleeve or collar 10 which is rigidly secured in suitable manner to the frame of the car. The pedestal, when in normal position is suspended in this bearing sleeve and locked in its suspended position. When released from its locked position the pedestal may be raised, or permitted to slide down through the bearing sleeve 10. For lifting the pedestal through the sleeve, a cord or cable llis attached at its upper end to a bail or clevis 12, and the cable passes over a guide pulley 13 to the rear end of the car where its free end is provided with a pull handle 14. By manipulationof the handle 14 the pedestal may be lifted from dotted position in Figure 1, or lowered to such position, when released from its locked position. 1

At its lower end the pedestal is provided with a hollow base plate adapted to stand or rest upon a tie as indicated in Figure 1, and this base nlate is made up of twodisks 15 and 15 bolted together toencase the round head 16 which is revolvable in the hollow Figure 3.

At or near the upper end of the pedestal is provided a pair of opposed notches 19, and near the lower end of the pedestal are provided complementary, opposed notches 20. These notches, in pairs, are adapted for co-action with opposed locking, slide bolts 21 and 22, which are alined and spaced at the sides of the pedestal in order that they may enter the notches 19, or 20. The slide bolts have a lever 23, which is pivoted at 24 to the bracket 24 fixed to the supporting plate or beam 27 of the car frame, and the bolt lever 23 and bolt 21, which is of U-shape are pivoted together at 25. Guide plates 26 are ailixed to the supporting plate 27 for the U-shape slide bolt, and it will be apparent that the two bolts 21 and 22 are adapted for relative movement, toward or' away from the notches in the pedestal. For actuating the 1 slide bolts a draw rod 28 is pivoted at the and the lever 23.

In Figure 1 the drop pedestal is shown in full lines in retracted or normal position, and is held in place by the two slide bolts 21 and 22 which are engaging the opposed notches 20 near the lower end of the pedestal. I

When it is desired to drop the pedestal, the latch 29 may be pushed with the foot to pull to the right the draw rod 28 against the tension of spring 31. This action of the rod, through the lever 23 withdraws the two bolts from the notches as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3. While the bolts are being withdrawn, the handle 14 may be grasped in the hand, and the pedestal permitted to fall or drop gradually to the tie 1 as indicated in dotted lines Figure 1.

The slide bolts are so positioned with re lation to'the pedestal that when the latter is lowered to the tie, the upper notches 19 will be in a slightly higher planethan the slide bolts, and the right end of the car is now elevated to bring the bolts in plane with the notches.

One man at each of the two rear handles into the notches 19 by the spring 31, the car;

assuming the dotted line position of Figure 1. r The inclined car is nowleveled and is supported entirely from the center pedestal by theslide bolts: In this position the car may be swung around through an arc of 90 degrees, the pedestal moving with the car and the head 16 turning in the base plate, until the car is at right angles to the line of the railroad. The bolts may now be released, and the pedestal lifted by pulling down on the handle 14 until the pedestal notches 20 are caught by the slide bolts, which bolts hold the pedestal uplifted. The car may now be pushed over the outside rail and thus removed fronrthe track with facilityand dispatch to permit the passage of a train, or for storage purposes.

From the above description it willbe ap parent that I have provided an equipment for the car by means of which the latter may quickly and conveniently be removed with the expenditure of a minimum of energyor man-power, and while I have shown one eXempliiicat-ion of the equipment, it will be understood that changes and alterations may be made therein, within the scope of my appended claim without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I a The combination with a railway car having a central bearing sleeve, of a drop pedestal in said sleeve having a head, a nonrotatable base encasing said head and suspended from the pedestal, a lifting cord attached to the pedestal, and locking means carried by the car for engagement selectively with means on the pedestal to suspend the pedestal in the car and to suspend the car on I the pedestal when the latter is lowered.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PATRICK CLIFFORD. 

